Children’s Homes Inc.

Children’s Homes Inc. of Paragould celebrated its 50th anniversary last September. During those decades, thousands of children — most from Arkansas — have found a new chance at a family life in its cottages.

And every one of them has been supported by private contributions. Children’s Homes, a ministry of the Churches of Christ, has no government funding in its $3 million annual budget.

Children’s Homes originally provided a homelike residence to local orphans. But as society has changed, so have the children being served.

“Originally, the kids were the victims. They were the ones who were left alone,” Executive Director Micah Brinkley said. “But now, sometimes kids are referred there because of the problems the kids have — addiction problems, bad crowd, etc. Sometimes good parents who are trying hard bring their kids to Children’s Homes for help.”

In earlier days, Children’s Homes could house 12-18 kids in a cottage with a couple of house parents. “We can’t do that anymore,” Brinkley said.

Now the goal is six children per cottage, which allows each child a private bedroom. Six cottages on the Paragould campus are reserved for either boys or girls. The seventh cottage accepts young siblings of either sex in order to keep families together. Two more “relief” cottages allow the house parents to have time alone or with their own children, and the organization maintains group homes in Harrisburg and North Little Rock.

In addition to trained house parents, Children’s Homes employs social workers and case managers and contracts with outside providers to meet any special needs. Children’s Homes also has a program called Working Together for the families of its wards.

“One of my greatest fears is we can work with kids here at Children’s Homes and show them a better life and a better structure of life… but if we don’t change that structure at home, they go right back into that old situation at home,” Brinkley said.